T or TUMULT-Class Destroyer ordered with the 6th Emergency Flotilla on 14th March 1941 from Denny of Dumbarton. The ship was laid down on 25th November 1941 and launched on 22nd March 1943 and was the seventh RN ship to bear the name previously used for a destroyer in 1915 and dating from 1780. In March 1942 following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign she was adopted by the civil community of Shardlow in Derbyshire. Build was completed on 18th October 1943.

B a t t le   H o n o u r s

EGYPT 1801 - BALTIC 1854 - JUTLAND 1916 - ZEEBRUGGE 1918 - ARCTIC 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943-44 - ADRIATIC 1944 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - AEGEAN 1944 - OKINAWA  1945

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: on  a  field White, a shrew mouse proper.

M o t t o

'Untameable'

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

(for more ship information,  go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

1 9 4 3

October                Contractors trials and commissioned for service.

                  18th     Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                              Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.

November            Deployed for work-up with Home Fleet ships.

                              Nominated for service with 24th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean

                  15th     Deployed as Local Escort for Russian Convoy JW54A from Loch Ewe with H M Escort

                              Destroyer BRISSENDEN and Polish ORP BURZA

                  18th     Detached from JW54A and returned to Scapa Flow.

December             Passage to Mediterranean to join Flotilla.

                              Deployed with HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TERPSICHORE, TEAZER, TUSCAN

                              and TUMULT of Flotilla for convoy defence in western and central Mediterranean.

1 9 4 4

January                  Deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

to

April

May

                  21st      Took part in sinking of U 543 off Cape Spartivento with  HM Destroyers TENACIOUS

                               and LIDDESDALE. See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.

                               (Note: Initial search was carried out by Italian warships serving under allied control)

                               Rescued 50 survivors from the submarine. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR, Vol. 2

                               and U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.

June                        Mediterranean duties with Flotilla in continuation.

to                             Nominated for gunfire support during planned allied landings in south of France

July                         Operation DRAGOON  formerly ANVIL)

August                    Joined HM Cruisers ORION, AJAX, AURORA, BLACK PRINCE, US cruiser QUINCY,

                                  French cruiser GLOIRE with HM Destroyer TERPSICHORE and four US destroyers to

                                  form Support Force ALPHA (Operation DRAGOON) See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                                  CLOSELY by C Barnett, BRITISH INVASION FLEET by J de Winser and the Naval

                                  Staff History for details.

                   13th        Sailed from Malta with Force ALPHA to join HM Battleship RAMILLIES.

                   14th        Joined HMS RAMILLIES during passage to assembly area.

                   15th        Provided naval gunfire support with ALPHA SHIPS during landings.

                                  Engaged shore batteries  and strong points near YELLOW Beach.

                                  (Note: Ship received Commendation from Admiral Lowry, US Navy.)

                    16th       Support deployment in continuation.

                    28th       Released from DRAGOON and resumed Flotilla duties with Mediterranean Fleet.

September                 Transferred with Flotilla for duty with British Aegean Force in support of the

                                  operations to re-occupy Aegean Islands. Intercepted ships taking German troops

                                   to mainland ports and provided naval gunfire support for landings.

                    29th       Carried out attack on convoy with HM Destroyer  TERPSICHORE sinking

                                   five ships.

October

                      7th        In action with German torpedo boats TA37, UJ2101 and  patrol boat GK32 SW of

                                   Kassandra-Huk with HMS TUSCAN during which these ships were sunk.

                    16th        Sank Siebel Ferry in Aegean

                    19th        Sank torpedo boat TA18 by gunfire off Skiathos with HMS TUSCAN.

November                  Deployment in support of military operations in Aegean and Greece continuation.

to                                Nominated for transfer to British Pacific Fleet after refit.

December

1 9 4 5

January                       Under refit in Malta and prepared for Pacific service with Flotilla.

to

February

March                        Passage to Join British Pacific Fleet

to                                Called at Sydney.

April                           (Note: Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to D47 to conform

                                                with US Navy identities used for destroyers.

                                   Joined BPF with ships of Flotilla.

                                   (Note: See following references for details of the delay introduced by US Navy

                                                 before approval was given for RN ships to be deployed as part of US Navy

                                                operations in Pacific.)

May

                       9th       Deployed with Task Force 57 for escort of RN carriers during air attacks on the

                                   Sakishima Gunto island group (Operation ICEBERG)

                     25th       Escorted HM Battleship KING GEORGE V with HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE and

                                   TENACIOUS during  passage to Guam for visit by British CinC Admiral Fraser to the

                                   US  CinC Pacific, Admiral Nimitz.

                     28th       Arrived at Guam..

June                          Returned to Sydney with HMS KING GEORGE V for R&R and maintenance period.

                                  On completion took passage to Manus to take part in planned RN operation.

                     12th     Joined HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE., HM Escort Carrier RULER, HM Cruisers

                                 SWIFTSURE, NEWFOUNDLAND, UGANDA and ACHILLES (RNZN) with ships of

                                 24th Flotilla as Task Group 111.2 for air attacks by carrier aircraft on Truk.

                                 (Operation INMATE).

                     14th     Part of destroyer screen for carriers during air operations until 16th June.

                     17th     Returned to British Forward Base at Manus.

July                          Transferred to US Third Fleet to join Task Force 37 with BPF ships.

                                 (Note: US Navy Pacific Fleet organisation was changed. See reference,)

                      17th    Deployed with TF37 to provide cower to Pleat units during air attacks on  Tokyo-

                                 Yokohama area by HM Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE, VICTORIOUS and

                                 IMPLACABLE.

                                 (For details of BPF operations see TASK FORCE 57, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET

                                  by  John Winton, OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO)

August                    Deployed with HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS, INDEFATIGABLE and

                                  IMPLACABLE as destroyer screen during air attacks by carriers in North Honshu.

                                  For details see above references)

                        9th     Screening deployment in continuation during further air operations.

                      12th     Joined now Task Group 38.5 with HMS IMPLACABLE, HMS KING GEORGE V,

                                  HM Cruisers GAMBIA and NEWFOUNDLAND, HM Destroyers BARFLEUR,

                                  NAPIER (RAN), NIZAM (RAN), WAKEFUL, WRANGLER, TROUBRIDGE,

                                  TENACIOUS and TEAZER when remaining ships of BPF left the operational

                                  area because of lack of fuel from British fuel supplies.

                       27th    Arrived at Sagami Bay with ships of Task Force 38.5.

                       31st    Attended formal surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HMS TERMAGANT returned to UK in late 1945 and was placed in Reserve at Portsmouth. In 1952 she was selected to be converted to a Type 16 Anti-submarine Frigate and on completion re-commissioned for service as  a target ship for 3rd Submarine Squadron during training. The ship joined the Squadron at Rothesay for this duty and paid-off. Placed in Reserve she laid-up at Lisahally, Ulster until 1965 when sold to BISCO for  demolition by Arnott Young. She arrived in tow at Dalmuir on the Clyde on 5th November that year for breaking-up.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS TERMAGANT

by Don Kindell

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)